(1) Wisconsin at Boston College
On Friday, Casey O’Brien led the Badgers with two goals and two assists, Laila Edwards scored twice and Kelly Gorbatenko added four assists to power the Badgers to a 7-1 win over Boston College. Kirsten Simms, KK Harvey and Claire Enright also scored for Wisconsin. Abby Newhook ruined the shutout, getting the Eagles on the board. In the second game, Sophomore Bailey Callaway made her first career start and made a stellar 54 saves, including 20 in the first, but the Badgers hit their stride in the second, scoring three goals in three minutes early and five total in the frame to put the game out of reach. Lacey Eden led UW with two goals and an assist while O’Brien added a goal and two assists which put her at 201 points for her career. Harvey, Cassie Hall and Sarah Wozniewicz also scored to give Wisconsin the 7-0 win.
Boston University at (2) Minnesota
Friday’s game was a weird one as at about the midpoint, shots were 7-1 in favor of the Gophers. Minnesota started to pick it up from there and the final shots on goal were more on par with what you’d expect (41-11), but this still was an interesting game as Boston University stymied the Gophers, compiling 28 blocks and keeping them to the perimeter. Callie Shanahan was stellar in net even as the pace picked up. BU received a penalty shot with about seven minutes to play, but Skylar Vetter made the save. The game looked destined for overtime, scoreless after nearly 60 minutes. But the physicality of the game caught up with BU as Riley Walsh was tied up with Abbey Murphy in front of the Gopher bench and subsequently pushed Murphy in the facemask after the play had moved on. Minnesota challenged the call of a minor penalty and it was upgraded to a major, giving the Gophers a five minute power play that covered the final 1:38 that remained on the clock. It took Murphy just 18 seconds to make the Terriers pay, scoring her second-straight game-winning goal to give Minnesota the 1-0 win. On Sunday, Peyton Hemp scored late in the first to give the Gophers an early 1-0 lead, but Lilli Welcke put back a rebound to make it 1-1. That last exactly 61 seconds as Murphy as hooked on a breakaway, leading to the second penalty shot of this series. She showed patience approaching the crease and waited for the goalie to commit to her butterfly before softly lifting the puck up and over her into the net to make it 2-1. It was the Gophers’ first successful penalty shot since 2012. The goal energized Minnesota as Ella Huber scored a few minutes later to make it 3-1 and Sydney Morrow scored her first as a Goopher in the opening minute of the third to make it 4-1. Walsh cut the lead to 4-2, but Nelli Laitenen’s backhander put the game out of reach as Minnesota took the 5-2 win and weekend sweep.
(3) Minnesota Duluth at (7) Colgate
The two teams took time to feel each other out and the scoring began in the second with Mary Kate O’Brien’s shorthander to put UMD up 1-0. But Colgate responded, scoring a goal on that same power play and adding a goal from Kalty Kaltounkova before intermission to take a 2-1 lead into the locker room. Tova Henderson tied things up in the beginning of the third and Clara Van Wieren scored with about seven to go to give the Bulldogs their first lead of the game, which they’d hold on to to win 3-2. In the second game of the weekend, the Raiders’ Kaia Malachino had two goals and Hannah Murphy made a career-high 42 saves to lead Colgate to a 3-2 win to earn the weekend split. Minnesota Duluth was pushing early and held a 16-1 shot advantaged to start the game. Van Wieren had UMD up 1-0 with a goal midway through the first, but Malachino tied things up a few minutes later on the power play to send the teams to intermission tied 1-1. Malachino scored her second power play goal with under two to play in the second to give the Raiders the lead. Sara Stewart put back a rebound to open the third and stretch the lead to 3-1 for Colgate. Olivia Wallin scored a power play goal a few minutes later, but could not find the equalizer as the Raiders took the 3-2 victory.
(4) Ohio State at (8) St. Lawrence
Captain Jenna Buglioni led Ohio State on Friday, scoring on the very first play of overtime, ending the game seven seconds in. Buglioni scored the Buckeyes’ first of the game, as well.
The game started as St. Lawrence had OSU on their heels for a bit of this game and eventually got on the board first thanks to a goal from Sarah Thompson. Buglioni put back a rebound on her backhand to tie the game 1-1. Abby Hustler’s second period goal gave the Saints a 2-1 lead heading into the third. Jocelyn Amos’ goal midway through the third was not initially called good, but Nadine Muzerall challenged the play and the puck trickled over the line, so the game was tied 2-2. OSU left no doubt and quickly ended the game with Buglioni’s goal seven seconds into OT. On Saturday, Riley Brengman’s shot from distance put Ohio State up in the opening minutes. Taylor Lum tied it up for St. Lawrence midway through the frame, but the Buckeyes were determined not to have a repeat of the first game. They quickly responded with goals from Kiara Zanon and Joy Dunne less than 90 seconds apart to make it 3-1. Aly McLeod scored on a perfect outlet pass from Hustler and then Sarah Marchand scored on the PP to tie the game 3-3 heading into the final frame. Buglioni put OSU ahead midway through the third and Amos scored on the empty net to secure the 5-3 win.
(5) Clarkson at Vermont
The Golden Knights led a balanced attack on Friday in their home opener as they scored twice in each period on goals from six different players to earn a 6-2 win. Rebecca Morissette put a deflected puck into the net in the opening minute to set the tone for Clarkson. Sidney Fess doubled the lead a few minutes later, but Vermont started to fight back. Evelyne Blais-Savoie responded less than a minute later to make it 2-1 and then Kyla Bent scored on the power play late in the period to send the teams to the locker room tied 2-2. But the Golden Knights found another level, outshooting UVM 14-3 in the second (and 42-16 for the game) and putting the game out of reach. Sena Catterall and Rhea Hicks added goals in the second and Jenna Goodwin and Raedyn Spademan scored in the third to finalize the win. In game two, Jane Gervais’ 37 saves and Vermont’s 18 blocks combined to keep this game close for more than two periods before Clarkson scored three times in less than 10 minutes to pull away. Lara Beecher put the Golden Knights on their heels, scoring for Vermont less than two minutes in. Jenna Goodwin’s wrister from the circle evened the score with about six to play in the first. At the midpoint of the game, Andie Proulx hit a wrister from the point to make it 2-1. The Golden Knights blew it open in the third as Spademan scored twice and Bridget Stevenson also lit the lamp to power Clarkson to a 5-1 win.
(12) Penn State at (9) Connecticut
This game was 35 minutes in before a goal was tallied Friday night. Stella Retrum scored late in the second and then Mya Vaselt scored in the opening minute of the third to put Penn State up 2-0. But Connecticut would not let themselves be counted out. Brianna Ware scored on the power play about seven minutes in to cut the lead to 2-1, then Clarie Murdoch and Brooke Campbells scored three minutes apart to give the Huskies a 3-2 lead in the closing minutes. UConn was able to hold on for the win. After going 0-for-7 on the PP in their opening series, the Nittany Lions found the special teams scoring mojo on Saturday, scoring three power play goals and a shorthander to earn a 4-2 win and weekend split. Christina Walker’s goal a minute into the second had UConn up 1-0, but Tessa Janecke was off to the races for a shorthander less than two minutes later to tie it 1-1. Maddy Christian and Katelyn Roberts each scored a power play goal later in the period to give Penn State a 3-1 lead. Meghane Duchesne-Chalifoux’s extra attacker goal cut the lead back to one-goal, but Lyndie Lobdell’s empty-net power play tally iced the win for PSU.
(10) Quinnipiac at (13) Northeastern
Taze Thompson’s power play goal opened the scoring on Friday for Northeastern, but Quinnipiac’s Tessa Holk added an extra-attacker of her own less than three minutes later to make it a 1-1 game. Éloïse Caron sent the Huskies to the locker room with a 2-1 lead with a goal in the final minutes of the opening period. The tie held into the third, but Skylar Irving came out of the second intermission flying and scored just 20 seconds in to make it a 3-1 lead for Northeastern. The Bobcats pulled their goalie for an extra skater and capitalized with a goal from Kendall Cooper to cut the lead to 3-2, but Jaden Bogden’s empty-netter sealed a 4-2 win for Northeastern. On Saturday, Maya Labad opened the scoring with a quick flick of a puck that bounded out of the corner to score from a sharp angle early in the second. Kathryn Stockdale picked up her own rebound midway through the second to make it 2-0 and Maddy Samoskevich’s power play, empty-net goal secured a 3-0 for Quinnipiac, who earned the split.
(15) Mercyhurst at (11) St. Cloud State
The Huskies set a program record with the weekend sweep of Mercyhurst, as they became the first team to ever start 3-0 (and then 4-0). After a back and forth first on Friday, Sofianna Sundelin put SCSU up 1-0, but Mercyhurst responded just before the second intermission with a goal from Regina Metzler to tie the game 1-1. Both teams clawed for the advantage in the final frame, but it was St. Cloud’s Emma Gentry who lit the lamp with just about four minutes left that lifted the Huskies to the 2-1 win. In the second game. Dayle Ross opened the scoring at the midpoint of the first period with a deceptive shot from distance that made it 1-0 SCSU. Ella Annick added a power play goal in the second and that’s all the Huskies needed to take a 2-0 win and sweep.
